The NBA mid-season trade market appears calm on the surface but is actually filled with undercurrents, as all 30 teams have their own needs, whether it's to strengthen and upgrade their rosters for a championship run or to dismantle and tank for the Flagg Cup. Prior to this, the Warriors and Nets had already completed a major Schroder trade, with stars from various teams such as Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen from the Bulls, Joe Harris and DeAndre Jordan from the Nets, Thomas Bryant and Kyle Kuzma from the Wizards, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell from the Jazz, Deandre Ayton and Jerami Grant from the Blazers, and Jimmy Butler from the Heat all involved in trade rumors! Today, the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets completed a major 5-for-2 trade at lightning speed!
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, multiple sources revealed that the Lakers and Nets completed a major trade centered around D'Angelo Russell and Finney-Smith. The details of the trade are as follows: The Lakers sent Russell, Lewis, a 2027 second-round pick, a 2030 second-round pick, and a 2031 second-round pick to the Nets in exchange for Finney-Smith and Milton. Subsequently, the Nets officially announced the trade, welcoming Russell back to Brooklyn and Lewis to the team! Overall, this is a mutually beneficial trade that benefits both sides.
The Lakers undoubtedly made a killing in this deal, acquiring Finney-Smith without giving up a first-round pick! Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka had previously stated: "We need 30 games to evaluate our roster!" Now, after 31 games, the Lakers have a record of 18 wins and 13 losses, ranking fifth in the West, 1.5 games behind the fourth-seeded Mavericks (20-12) and only 0.5 games ahead of the seventh-seeded Nuggets (17-13). In other words, the Lakers face fierce competition ahead and behind them, and they must strengthen their lineup to avoid falling behind in the wild West.
For the Lakers, Milton is just an extra in the trade, not worth mentioning. Finney-Smith is indeed a good choice. This season, he earns only 14.38million,averaging10.4points,4.6rebounds,1.6assists,and2.4three−pointerspergame,withathree−pointshootingpercentageof43.515 million in luxury tax.
For Russell, he can also continue to pursue a big contract as he wishes. Russell is in a contract year, earning $18.7 million this season. This season, Russell played 29 games for the Lakers (starting 10), averaging 26.3 minutes per game, contributing 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.9 three-pointers, with a scoring average that is a career low. Russell's position with the Lakers is quite awkward; he is not as good at organizing as Reaves, shooting as Knick, or defending as Christie, and he has a tendency to be unpredictable, so he is destined not to be favored by Redick. According to American media reports, Russell is very excited about this. It's worth noting that this is the second time the Lakers have sent Russell to the Nets (the last time was in 2017), hoping that he can perform well with the Nets like last time, even if he doesn't make the All-Star team, he should fight for his next big contract!
From sending Schroder to the Warriors to sending Finney-Smith to the Lakers, the Nets are completely dismantling and rebuilding for the future! Over the next seven years, the Nets will have 15 first-round picks and 16 second-round picks, with a salary cap space of $60 million next summer. Although the Nets did not obtain any first-round picks in these two trades, their "supermarket" will continue to operate, with veterans like Harris and Simmons waiting to be traded! According to American media reports, Harris is being pursued by multiple Western Conference teams, and the Nets are asking for multiple first-round picks for him! It must be said that the Nets are aiming to be a disruptor in the West, almost single-handedly increasing the competitiveness of Western Conference teams, watching the tigers fight from the mountain!